RICHARD MACK                 0378-SC /#207
     I WAS BORN IN LIMESTONE, VIRGINIA.  MY FIRST MASTER WAS GREEN BOBO.  I WAS
 SOLD WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD; NOT REALLY SOLD, BUT SOLD ON A PAPER THAT SAID I
F HE DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF ME, I WOULD COME BACK--A PAPER ON ME--A KIND OF MARTGAG
E--SPECULATORS BOUGHT NEGROES AND SELL UM.  MISSIS, I NEVER HAD A STRIPE PUT ON
ME.  I HAD A PRIVILEGE OF BEING AMONG ALL PEOPLE.  THEN I COME TO SOUTH
CAROLINA.  MY MOTHER, JANE, SHE LIVE TO BE 108;  SHE COME TO SOUTH CAROLINA TOO.
  WE GOT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN ORANGEBURG, AT CAPTAIN CHERRY'S--CAPTAIN CHERRY HER
E IN CHARLESTON IS RELATED TO HIM--CHERRY PLANTATION IS THERE NOW;  CAPTAIN CHER
RY HAD PLENTY OF MONEY.
     TONY WAS MY FATHER, A CARRIAGE DRIVER; HE WORE HIS TALL HAT AND FINE CLOTHE
S AND HE WAS A MUSICIAN.  PLAYED THE VIOLIN AT THE ACADEMY ON THE OLD NINETY SIX
 ROAD.  ALL THE WHITE PEOPLE EDUCATED THEIR CHILDREN THERE, AND THEY HAD
PARTIES.  OH, THE BEAUTIFULEST LADIES--THEY WORE LONG DRESSES THEN AND HAD LONG
 HAIR--THE BEAUTIFULEST]  MY FATHER--DADDY TONY, THEY CALL HIM-- HE WAS A MUSICI
AN--ALWAYS PLAYED THE VIOLIN.
     WOULD HAVE BEEN MARRIED FORTY YEAR AGO, IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR COTTON EYE JO
E.
     SONGS-- LOTS OF UM--  RUN NIGGER RUN, DE PATROL KETCH YOU.
     WHEN DE PATROL COME, I HAD MY BADGE;  I SHOW HIM MY PAPER AND MY BADGE]  I
GOT IT STILL.  I LOVE DE  DAYS--I LOVE DEM PEOPLE.
     MY MOTHER WAS A GOOD WOMAN--SHE USED TO GET DOWN ON HER KNEES, LIKE THIS, A
ND GET UP LIKE THIS.  MY AUNT LIVED TO BE 141; SHE SAW GEORGE WASHINGTON--SHE TO
LD ME SO.
     CHEROKEE--KICKAPOO--I DON'T REMEMBER--MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS AN INDIAN CH
IEF--MY NOSE IS STRAIGHT, SEE HERE.
     I LOVED DEM DAYS, I LOVED DEM PEOPLE.  WE LIVED BETTER--WE HAD NO MONEY--WE
 HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT--JUST DO YOUR TASK.  SPIN WHEEL AND REEL AND REEL FO
R THE YARN.  I FILLED MY ARMS FULL OF QUILT--HAND MADE.  HAD TASK; I DONE ALL MY
 TASK, AND I HELP OTHERS WITH THEIR TASK SO THEY WOULDN'T GET WHIPPED;  IF PEOPL
E LAZY AND WONT DO, THEY GOT TO BE MADE TO DO;  IF CHILDREN BAD THEY GET WHIPPED
--IF NIGGER BAD, THEY GOT A WHIPPING.
     OLD SATAN WEAR A BIG SHOE--HE GOT ONE CLUB FOOT.  HE CAN DUSGUISE HIMSELF--
HE MAKE YOU THINK HE GOT POWER, BUT HE AIN'T GOT NO POWER.  HE GET YOU IN TROUBL
E AND LEAVE YOU THERE.  I ALWAYS PRAY FOR WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING LIKE SOLOMON.
  I PRAY ALL THE TIME TO OUR GOOD FATHER.  PEOPLE SAY--WHY YOU CALL HIM GOOD FAT
HER?  I LOVE EVERYBODY--LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
     YES MA'AM.  OH HEAVEN]  WE GOT TO BE CLEAN--WE CHANGE OUT OF THE FLESH TO
THE SPIRIT;  A CROWN PREPARED FOR US; ALL WE SAVE AND HELP ARE STARS IN OUR CROW
N; YOU GO FROM MANSION TO MANSION--HIGHER--HIGHER.
     WHY MY LORD HAVE MERCY]  THE LORD IS A SPIRIT--WE ARE CHANGED.
     I ROLL THE CARPET FOR MISSIS TO GET IN THE CARRIAGE;  A TWO FEET CARPET FRO
M THE HOUSE ROLL TO THE STOOP FRO THE CARRIAGE.
     MY MOTHER--YES, MA'AM--108 YEARS OLD--A SMART WOMAN IN THE HOUSE.  OH MY LO
RD, MISSIS--COOOK]  SHE WOULDN'T KILL A CHICKEN OUT OF THE YARD;  SHE HAD A COOP
 TO PUT THEM IN, AND IT WAS CLEANED OUT EVERY DAY.  MY MOTHER WOULD FIX THE FLOW
ERS; SHE WOULD TAKE THIS LITTLE FLOWER, AND THAT LITTLE FLOWER, AND PUT THEM TOG
ETHER, AND MAKE UP A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET, AND HAND THEM OUT TO EVERYBODY.  MY FATH
ER KNEW ALL ABOUT PLANTING;  THE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO ASK DADDY TONY HOW TO PLAN
T THIS AND WHEN TO PLANT THAT.
     I HEARD ALL THE WAR TALK, I SAW A COMET.   I SAW THE THE CURTAIN CLOUD--AND
 SNOW CLOUDS--ROLLS AND ROLLS.  IN THE WAR I WAS WITH MY MASTER, CAPTAIN CHERRY,
 AND DR KNOX, CAPTAIN IN THE CIVIL WAR, AND CAPTAIN DICK MCMICHAEL--ALL THOSE FI
NE GENTLEMEN.  THEY HAD HOGSKIN SADDLES THAT CREAKED--CRENCH--CRENCH--AS THEY RO
DE;  THE WAY THEY COULD RIDE]  THOSE HOSSES WERE AS SENSIBLE AS PEOPLE;  THEY CO
ULD JUMP FROM SIDE TO SIDE;  THEY KNEW EVERYTHING.
     CAPTAIN CHERRY SAID TO ME--WHY WEREN'T YOU WHITE]  WHY WE9EN'T YOU WHITE]
WHY WEREN'T YOU WHITE]  I LOST MY OLD CAPTAIN--THEN I WAS WITH GENERAL FRANK BAM
BERG, AND WITH HIS BROTHER, CAPTAIN ISAAC BAMBERG--I WAS ORDERLY.  SOMETIMES IN
 THE WAR WE HAD ONE HARDTACK A DAY, AHD HAD TO DRINK WATER ON 'UM TO MAKE 'UM SW
ELL.  WE HAD TO GET OUT SALT OUT OF WATER, MOST ANYWHERE.
     I SAW GENERAL LEE MANY TIMES;  I KNEW HIM;  HE HAD HIS CLOSE BEARD AROUND H
IS FACE;  HE LOOKED FINE AND SAT HIS HORSE SO SPLENDID.  I DID THIS.  I MADE THE
 BALLOON FLIGHT--MY EYES WERE GOOD--THEY CARRIED ME BECAUSE ANY OBJECT THAT I SA
W, I KNEW WHAT IT WAS;  A ROPE LADDER LED UP TO THE BASKET--THE BEAUTIFUL THING-
-WE WENT UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BEAUFAIN STREET;  THER WERE NO HOUSES THERE TH
EN, AND WE CAME DOWN ON THE CITADEL GREEN.
     CAPTAIN EDWARDS GAVE ME A $500 BILL FOR CLEANING HIM PUMP SOLE BOOTS.  I HA
D THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CONFEDERATE MANEY WHEN THE WAR BROKE UP.  IF WE HAD WO
N I WOULD BE RICH.
     THE TIME CAPTAIN WADE HAMPTON WAS STUMPING I FOLLOED HIM ALL OVER THE
STATE;  I LED 500 HEAD; WAS WITH HIM TO CAMDEN, ORANGEBURG AND ALL THE WAY TO HA
MPTON COUNTY;  LED 500 NEGROES THROUGH THE COUNTY;  I WAS CAPTAIN OF THEM;  I RO
DE NELLIE PONSA AND WORE MY RED JACKET AND CAP AND BOOTS;  I HAD A SWORD TOO;  M
Y  RED SHIRT DIED YEAR BEFORE LAST.
     DEMOCRAT RILEY, YES MA'AM, USED TO DRIVE THAT FINE CARRIAGE, AND OLD COLONE
L CUNNINGHAM'S FAMILY.
     I LOSE ALL MY ANCESTORS.  I GOT A NIECE, QUEENIE BROWN, IN ORANGEBURG;  I G
OT A DAUGHTER IN NEW JERSEY;  ONE IN NEW YORK, MARRIED TO A CLYDE LINE MAN;  LOS
T SIGHT OF BOTH; BOTH OLD.
     BLESS THE LORD] I GOT FRIENDS]  MR POOSER CAME TO SEE ME YESTERDAY;  BEEN I
N SOUTH AMERICA FOUR YEARS;  JUST GOT BACK AND  HUNT ME UP RIGHT OFF]  MARRIED M
ISS DANTZLER OF ORANGEBURG--I RAISED THEM ALL.
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